Homeless in NOHA

1 Dec 2012

Going through my photos today in Lightroom I came across this image that I took a few years ago while on a trip to Northampton. This is Mike, he was homeless and sitting in front of a storefront that night as I was passing by. I had stopped to take a photo of an interesting window display and after taking the frame I heard him say hello.

I looked down, as he was sitting on the sidewalk serenely. He did not really look homeless until you took a good look, his clothing a bit tattered and dirty, but generally, he was jovial and happy to talk. He asked me about my camera and we began talking a bit. After a bit he said "Would you take my picture so I could send it to my family? They have not heard from me in a while and I would like to let them know I am ok."

It took me a moment to process it all, and I said of course, but this is a digital camera so, how do I get that photo to them? He responded that he had an email address and he used the library computers for free, so could I email it to him. I took down the email, took his photo, and sent it to him after returning home and offloading the photos from that trip. I never got a response back from that email and I hope he got the photo to his family.

As we chatted I saw many people just pass us by, not looking at him sitting on the street. It was just before Christmas and it seemed that perhaps the spirit of giving had given way to the forces of ignorance and want that lay within the Ghost of Christmas present's robes. I gave him some cash and bid him a Merry Christmas telling him to keep warm.